New Delhi, Aug. 3: Success, they say, lies in doing the right things, the right way and at the right time.

This could be 22-year old Australian swimming sensation Stephanie Louise Rice’s ethos. Not only did she win three golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she holds the world record in the 400m individual medley.

At a time when top foreign athletes are pulling out from the Delhi Commonwealth Games, Rice is a rarity. An event close to her heart — the 2006 Melbourne Games were her first claim to fame — the swimmer says she cannot wait to reach Delhi.

In a chat with this newspaper from Queensland, Rice said: “For sure, the Commonwealth Games have a special place in my heart as it was my breakthrough to international competition. I am really excited about competing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and doing some great swims.”

She also shot down concerns over her participation in the Games over security worries.

“I have no concerns. The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is working closely with the Indian Commonwealth Games authority and we have complete faith in their ability.”

A heady mix of talent and beauty, the Australian shot into the limelight at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when she set the pool ablaze with her stupendous show. Rice, then 20, began by clocking 4:29:45 in the 400m individual, smashing countrymate Katie Hoff’s world record by two seconds. It was her first-ever Olympic medal, and Australia’s first gold at Beijing.

Three days later, she backed up her effort with golds in the 200m individual medley and the 4×200m freestyle relay, each in world record time.

“The Beijing Olympics changed my life. Emotionally I went through a lot of highs and lows, but it was an amazing experience which I will never forget.

“My coach Michael Bohl has a quote that he uses for champions that resonates with me.

‘Character creates longevity. A big part of character is the self-discipline needed to resist temptation and avoid complacency. Understand that past success doesn’t guarantee future success. Athletes that win over and over have more than ability... they have strong character’,” Rice said.

Born and brought up in Queensland, Rice dreamt of winning Olympic gold from a very young age. The connect was apparent when Rice — only eight then — cried her heart out one night after being disqualified during a local swim meet.

Recalls the 22-year old, “For as long as I remember I have loved being in a swimming pool. “I had my first disqualification from a race at the local swimming club for an incorrect touch on the wall. I thought the referee meant that I would never be able to swim again and I cried all night until my mother explained that I was only disqualified from that one race!”

Success chased the Queenslander, and with it a plethora of controversies. Labelled as “the party girl”, Rice’s off-field activities often evoked more attention than her swimming exploits.

The frenzy reached a point when in Swimming Australia asked her to “trim it” after photos of her vamping it up as a police officer at a Christmas party were published on Facebook. So what is the real Stephanie Rice like, one is tempted to ask.

“I have a fun and cheeky side to my personality but I also am determined, stubborn and committed to being the best I can be in the pool. I focus on myself and what I need to do to improve and be the best I can be, not on the expectations of others,” said Rice.